Nothing Like Reality
by Kjb2609
Summary: When Killian Jones agrees to help his brother Liam by appearing on the TV show he is hosting, the last thing he expects is to meet a woman who might help him in turn - by opening his heart to love again. A CS/Beauty and the Geek AU fic
1. Chapter 1

**For my friend Becka, who wanted to see Bernard Curry's hosting gig on Beauty and The Beast Australia feature in a CS fic!**

He should have had a sense of impending doom. If not from the urgency of Liam's summons to the mansion-turned-television studio that was to be his brother's new workplace, then at least from the frantic pacing that greeted him when he pulled into the lot and parking space he had been directed to.

Liam had the air of one on the knife's edge, a man whose very existence was hanging by a thread.

And yet Killian didn't really see it coming.

"Quite the office you have here, big brother," Killian said admiringly. Liam smiled briefly, worry still evident in his eyes as he led Killian to Craft Services and sat him down at an empty table.

"Yes, well, I wanted you to see it. Still a bit hard to believe I'll be hosting my own show," Liam said, "I know it's not the most intellectual of concepts - pairing awkward blokes and attractive women in fairly ridiculous challenges, but it's a step towards what I want." Killian reached across to squeeze his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, Liam." Liam covered Killian's hand with his own, the tension gone for just a moment as they sat together.

There was a barista-made coffee in Killian's hand and a plateful of sugar-laden pastries in his reach before he realised this meeting was not actually an outpouring of brotherly love.

It was an ambush.

"Enjoying your summer vacation, Killian?" Liam asked, eyes everywhere but on Killian's. "Plenty of time on your hands?"

Killian stared at his older brother, forcing him to meet his gaze and finding only a thin sheen of panic in his eyes. "You know I have my book to work on during my summers, Liam."

"Of course. Of course," Liam said, checking the time none too subtly.

"Am I keeping you from something, mate?" Killian asked, guilt crossing Liam's face before his shoulders drooped and he slumped in his seat. Killian eyed him anxiously. "Liam? What's wrong?"

Liam sighed. "We've had a bit of a hitch in filming," he began, scratching nervously behind his ear. Killian was immediately on alert - his brother's nervous tic was one he had himself and he knew all too well that something was amiss. He raised an eyebrow expectantly. "One of our geeks pulled out at the eleventh hour - and there's no time to vet someone new before filming starts on Tuesday." The shift of his head upwards was slow and deliberate, his eyes meeting Killian's, full of hope and desperation. "Unless you were to know them already, of course."

Killian looked at his brother with disbelief. "Please tell me you are not suggesting what it seems you are suggesting."

Liam said nothing, just continued to look hopefully at Killian. Killian ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head at his brother and his hangdog expression.

"I am hardly a candidate for this piece of television gold, brother. Far too dashing a gentleman to qualify as a 'geek'."

Liam stirred his coffee thoughtfully, before looking up, wry smile on his face.

"Killian, you are a professor of ancient history with a passion for Greek mythology who participates in naval battle re-enactments in his spare time. And is that coat, in fact, tweed? You are more than suitably qualified."

Killian narrowed his eyes at his brother. "I can sail a tall ship, brother. That is nothing if not the epitome of cool. I am not your man."

Shoulders slumping, Liam sighed deeply. "I knew it was asking a lot, Killian. This is such an opportunity after such a long time trying to break in that I wasn't thinking straight. Of course you must work on your book."

It was Killian's turn to sigh. Memories of all the sacrifices made on his behalf, the things he knew Liam had given up to keep them together as boys were never far from the surface. And while his brother would never ask for those debts to be repaid, the need to do so was strong. Strong enough, even, to make potentially rash decisions. Killian straightened in his chair. "I never could stand to disappoint you brother," he said resignedly. "What bloody paperwork to I have to sign to participate in this debacle?"

"You'll do it?" The tremor of emotion in Liam's voice ensured there would be no chance of Killian backing out.

"Against my better judgement."

Liam pulled him into a back-slapping hug, relief palpable in the air. "Thank you, brother," he breathed. "You won't regret this."

"Oh, I rather think I will."

* * *

"Has anybody seen Emma?" Liam called to a crowd of crew members.

When a tall man with a headset microphone and his eyes glued to his phone indicated towards the set, Killian had to pick up the pace considerably to keep up with Liam, who was clearly determined to find whoever this Emma was.

As they neared a large open living room, Liam skirted to a halt behind a blonde woman who was deep in conversation with several crew members.

"Emma, he said yes," Liam breathed, clearly out of breath after the effort of finding her, and she turned instantly towards his voice.

Killian sucked in a sudden breath. The woman was stunning and he blinked stupidly for a moment as she looked him up and down unabashedly. Her green eyes met his for just a moment, enough to set a spark of something alight in his gut despite the disconcerting speed with which she looked away. Something that had not flickered for a very long time, not since Milah, and he held his breath in awe.

Suddenly, regret about doing this was the furthest thing from his mind.

"Emma Swan, meet my little brother Killian," Liam said, breaking the silence as he urged Killian forward. Good manners won the day as Killian held out a hand towards her, a hand she took warily as her eyes met his again. The urge to bring her hand to his lips was unexpected and overwhelming but Killian fought to resist, knowing somehow that such old-fashioned courtesies might not be welcomed by her, despite the tiny hitch in her breath when she took his hand.

For a few breathtaking moments she met his gaze, her expression unreadable as she searched his face, until a loud clattering sound from somewhere in the distance broke the spell and she turned sharply towards Liam, fixing him in her disbelieving stare. "Are you kidding me? You do understand the premise of this show you are about to host?"

"We needed a geek and I found us one," Liam replied indignantly. "I believe I mentioned the naval re-enactments? In costume?" Killian narrowed his eyes at his brother, before turning his gaze to Emma. Clearly agitated, her green eyes flashed as she shook her head at Liam.

"Jones, if you are going to make it in this business, you are going to have to get over this self-deprecating, humble shit. And not apply it to your family either. Have you had a look at this guy?"

Head cocked to the side, Liam grinned at her. "In all his glory, lass. I realise the genetic blessing of good looks was seriously depleted before it reached my brother, but surely you are not suggesting he is too unattractive for the position at hand?"

Their reactions were simultaneous.

"Oy, bugger off, mate!"

"Only if you are, Jones."

Emma took a deep breath in, releasing it slowly as she shook her head at Liam. Killian was almost certain he heard her mutter something about an accent, but before he could say anything else she had turned her attention to the voice on her radio.

"Yep, he's here. I'll send him up." She pointed at Liam, who nodded his understanding. He turned to Killian, clasping his shoulder with a genuine smile on his face.

"Emma will look after you from here, brother. She's a fierce lass and the best producer we have, so you couldn't be in better hands." He made to leave, but looked back over his shoulder one last time. "Thank you, Killian."

Before he could respond, his brother was gone and Emma Swan had grasped his arm, leading him off in the opposite direction. Her fingers on his arm were leaving little pinpricks of heat on his skin, despite being separated by layers of fabric and his heart beat just a little bit faster as he followed. He felt a slight squeeze on his bicep, and she shook her head again, a hiss of breath leaving her lips. She paused, seemingly collecting her thoughts before turning to face him again.

"Well, you should make Ruby's job easier when we get to the makeover episode, if nothing else. Come on."

Killian's eyes widened. "Makeover, love? What do you mean, makeover?"

Emma paused, something that could have been exasperation in her eyes. "Don't worry. Ruby will just enhance all of this -" she gestured up and down his body, "- and make it even hotter."

He couldn't stop the smirk from crossing his face at her choice of words.

"I believe the words 'devilishly handsome' have been bandied about before today, love," he said with a wink, immediately scanning her face for fear he had overstepped. He was surprised at his own reaction, if he were honest. Something about Emma Swan had put him off kilter, bringing long-buried feelings to the surface and sending him straight back to old, familiar response patterns where flirtation was his natural line of defence.

She raised her eyebrows in return, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I'm sure your lectures are full of girls with messages of love written on their eyelids, buddy, but you are going to have to rein in the devilish if you're going to cut it around here."

Surprise must have registered on his face as she continued. "Geek, remember? Nerdy pastimes, awkward around women, that kind of thing. Have you even seen this show?"

He arched one eyebrow and she shook her head. "Of course you haven't," she sighed. "Why would my life be easy? Listen, Killian, you do what I tell you and we'll be fine. I won't take my eyes off you for a minute."

"I would despair if you did." Killian bit down on his lip as soon as the words slipped out, his eyes apologetic but Emma sighed good naturedly.

"You are going to make Regina crazy," she said, a definite implication that said turn of events would not necessarily be a bad thing in her voice. "Come on, time for reality TV 101."

She was off through the mass of cables and equipment and Killian had little choice but to follow.

He had a feeling it would not be the last time.

* * *

Sometimes she hated it when she was right, Emma thought from her chair in the control room, eyes glued to one of the many screens that covered every possible angle of the mansion.

She had said he would drive Regina crazy and he absolutely had.

Just not in the way she had imagined.

On screen, Killian Jones sat deep in conversation with his cast mates, his fingers twitching unconsciously on the arm of his leather chair as he listened to each in turn. The tweed coat from the first day remained, his neat hair a bit too long to be fashionable and the glasses Ruby had managed to find for him doing nothing to enhance his blue eyes - and yet that exact shade of blue had popped into her daydreams on more than one occasion in the week since she had met him.

There was none of the flirtatious scoundrel she had met in this Killian Jones; if anything he was shy and a bit unsure around the girls on set, but there was something about the way he listened - the soft smile, the earnest questions, the sense of genuine interest in these women that had so little in common with him.

It was breathtaking and the camera was eating him up. And she was finding it hard to keep her eyes off him too.

The man had chemistry with anything that moved, not to mention a few things that didn't, so why was she surprised that Regina had spent the last 7 days in her ear yelling increasingly outlandish ideas to get him front and centre? Their showrunner might be a hardass of the worst kind, but she knew what made people come back for more.

And that was definitely Killian Jones.

"Not gonna lie, Ems, I kinda want to be that chair right now," came a voice in her ear. She turned sharply, startled to be caught so obviously gawping at Killian, and came face to face with her friend Ruby, a knowing smile on her face as she grinned at Emma. Emma felt the heat rise in her face and knew it was pointless to try and disagree.

She just shrugged, turning her head back to the monitors before Ruby's eagle eye caught that little hint of attraction that Emma was finding so hard to conceal. There would be no respite if Ruby got even a whiff that he was having an effect on her.

"And I kinda want him to remember he's supposed to be some nerdy professor," she shot back, sarcasm a cover for all kinds of sins in Emma's experience, "but we can't always get what we want, can we?"

Ruby laughed and wrapped an arm around Emma. "I think Tina there is getting what she wants, though," she said, indicating the petite blonde curled up in the armchair next to Killian, eyes fixed on his face as he smiled and nodded at whatever story she was telling. "And if what Zelena let slip earlier is true, our beloved leader is going to make sure of that."

Emma flicked her eyes to Ruby's, surprised by her own anxiety about just what her co-producer and their showrunner had up their sleeves. Ignoring the knowing smile playing at the corners of her friend's mouth she asked anxiously, "What do you mean? Since when is this a dating show?"

"Since Regina realised it could be? Since that geek walked in here with his tweed coat and his 'fuck me' eyes?" Ruby grinned. "Defensive much, Ems?"

Emma breathed deeply, curbing her natural impulse to snap back, knowing Ruby would just jump to conclusions as a result. While she and Zelena had managed to work side by side as producers for several seasons, she wasn't naive enough to trust the woman wouldn't throw her and all her teams under the proverbial bus given half a chance. Regina had worked hard to make sure both she and Zelena were well aware that the biggest obstacle they each faced in being promoted here was each other. Ratings were results and drama meant ratings and a good producer did what they had to make sure there was drama. And Zelena was certainly a very good producer. Emma was right to be wary, right to protect her contestants.

It had nothing at all to do with the tug of jealousy at the thought of that little pixie cosying up to Killian Jones.

"Killian is mine," she said, ignoring the blatantly raised eyebrow from Ruby, "and so is Anna. You know, his partner? If Regina has some kind of grand plan for him, I should know about it."

"And is that all it is, Emma Swan? Concerned producer?" Ruby's eyes sparkled with amusement as Emma rolled her own. History told her defensive would do her no favours with Ruby - a change of subject was her only course of action.

Or an interruption.

"Who are we concerned about, Emma?"

Liam appeared between them, his eyes scanning the monitors for his brother as he spoke. A soft smile flashed across his face as he watched the scene - Killian out on the balcony now with Anna and Tina, his eyes heavenward as he pointed out something in the evening sky. Tina had manoevered her way in front of him, Emma noticed, all but leaning against him as he spoke.

"Well, he's brought out that old chestnut, has he?" Liam smirked. "I can't believe women still fall for that 'let's look at the stars' trick."

Emma's eyes flashed with anger - or something she was going to tell herself was anger as she wasn't going to acknowledge any other option in that moment - and she turned on Liam.

"Well, I was concerned that Regina might be taking advantage of your brother, but it seems he can take care of himself. Maybe you can remind him again who he is supposed to be here?" She turned to go, ignoring the quizzical look that passed between Liam and Ruby at her heated response.

"Emma, wait a minute, lass," Liam called, and she paused, turning back to him. She crossed her arms across her chest, fighting to keep her eyes off the monitors and on Liam, part of her needing to see how this scene played out while the other really didn't want to know. "I think you might have the wrong idea here."

"Hot flirty professor with nerdy pastimes, uses them to reel in the ladies," she snapped. "Does that about cover it?"

Liam's face changed, sadness clouding his eyes and Emma immediately regretted her anger. "Once upon a time, all of that would have sounded fairly accurate, actually," Liam said quietly. "Quite the ladies man, my little brother, although he did believe in good form and never took advantage of anyone, mind. But then he met Milah and it all changed."

"Broke his heart?" Ruby asked, putting a hand on Liam's arm in sympathy.

"She died." Liam hung his head. "He loved her so much and she died and my funny, confident little brother went with her. Drank for while, then just retreated into himself. Got hard and angry with the world. So to see him like this," he said, indicating the monitors where Killian and Tina were still studying the stars intently, Anna now nowhere to be seen,"It gives me hope that I might just get him back."

Emma stared at the scene on the screen, memories of mischievous winks and witty banter definitely at odds with the Killian Jones she saw here and the story Liam was telling.

"Well, he was pretty damn flirty with me," she commented. "All eyebrow waggling and smartass comments."

Liam looked thoughtfully at her, his hand running across his face. "Was he now?" he said. "I'll have to ask him about that."

"No, you won't," Emma retorted, before turning on a grinning Ruby. "And neither will you," she added, pointing accusingly as her friend feigned innocence. Emma just shook her head. "I think we needed to finalise the outfits for the costume party, didn't we?"

Ruby chuckled. "Among other things, I suspect. But we'll go with that for now."

"I've got Kris as Batman, Anton's in the Jedi robes and Anna finally decided on Harry Potter for Killian…" she began, but Ruby shook her head.

"Yeah, about that," she interrupted. "Regina is thinking pirate, you know, to go with the ships and all." Liam snorted loudly in approval.

"Twirly moustaches and puffy shirts sound exactly his style," Liam chuckled.

Ruby laughed right back. "You have no idea," she said cryptically, "but Ems had better start working her magic on Anna because Regina is not going to take no for an answer on this."

* * *

"Who doesn't love Harry Potter, Emma? I mean, everyone loves him. He's a wizard - what's not to love? And Killian will look great with a scar and those little round glasses." Seizing her moment as Anna took a breath, Emma jumped in before the redhead could start again.

"Trust me, Anna, I'm with you completely. I love Harry and Killian would be fantastic but we are looking at the mix and we need a bit of a bad boy type, you know? Someone charming but a bit of a villain. And let's be honest, none of the other boys could pull it off." Emma leaned in conspiratorially, nudging Anna as she flicked her eyes to the other cast members milling around close by.

Something in the way Anna's mouth twisted thoughtfully as she followed Emma's gaze told her she had all but won the battle...and her trump card would be just enough to push it over the edge.

"How about I tell you what I have planned for you? A little sneak peek."

Without a word, she led Anna to a hanging garment bag and slid the zipper up just enough for the frothy green contents to come spilling out. Anna sighed in delight, reaching out to brush her fingers over the delicate fabric.

"Pirate and the princess," Emma whispered, "It's a classic combo and you are going to look amazing in that dress. It's a great chance to win the challenge for you."

Anna's wide eyes met Emma's before she threw her arms around her in a hug. "I am so lucky to have you looking out for me, Emma. I would never have thought of this and it sounds wonderful. Thank you."

Emma ignored the pang of guilt as she hugged Anna back quickly. "I'm just doing my job," she whispered, wishing that statement wasn't the cop out she knew it was. "It's nearly time to get ready, so I better go and check in on Killian. Ruby will come by soon to help you, okay?"

Still admiring the dress, Anna just nodded as Emma slipped away. Her radio crackled to life and Regina's voice blasted from the speaker.

"Emma! Where the hell are you?"

She took a deep breath before answering. "Go for Emma."

"About damn time. Indiana Jones here is resisting his new look and where are you? Not here. Fix that, would you?" The line went dead. Shaking her head, Emma took a guess at where 'here' was and set off in search of Killian. Anger bubbled within her - anger at Regina and her condescending tone, anger at Killian for making waves but mostly anger at herself for letting him under her skin and knowing full well she wasn't angry he was causing problems.

Nope - it was something far, far more worrying.

Fighting down the image of him, arms around Tina as they surveyed the heavens, she made her way to his room. She could hear Ruby's muffled voice as she pushed open the door.

"Ah, Swan, at last," he said and Emma bit down on her lip to suppress the little jolt of pleasure her name on his lips sent through her body. He had slipped into this habit of calling her by her surname and as much as she wanted to be outraged or even mildly put out by it, she couldn't find it in herself to correct him.

Especially when she realised he was half undressed, his shirt unbuttoned and hanging open by his sides, revealing a muscled torso with a dusting of dark chest hair. A dark-stoned ring hung on a silver chain around his neck and Emma struggled to keep her eyes away from the way his pants hung low on his hips. Forcing her attention back to his face, she was met by an amused smirk and a sudden urge to remove it in whatever way necessary.

"Eyes up here, love," he said, eyebrow arched as his smile widened for just a moment before doubt flickered across his face. It was just a split second but enough for Emma to remember Liam's words and wonder if she had seen through some kind of armour for an instant.

God knew he had managed to work his way under hers.

"Regina said you were causing trouble?" she asked, ignoring his blatant flirtation seeming the best course of action. Killian looked indignant, a pout on his handsome face as Ruby poked him in the shoulder.

"See, I told you the boss lady would find out you were misbehaving," she said with a wink. "Now why don't you go put on the costume I have slaved day and night over like a good boy?"

"And as per our agreement, Jones, the boss lady you should be worried about is me, and trust me, I am far more frightening that Regina if you really piss me off."

"I find that very hard to believe, Swan," he countered, "But I will take your word for it. In my defence, however, I was merely ensuring that Anna's wishes were being carried out as I was led to believe this was supposed to be according to her preferences? And she may have hinted to me that we were to be dressed in something quite different."

Emma sensed the small 'aww' moment Ruby was having without actually making eye contact with her friend. Damn him and his considerate nature, she thought, as the irritation she felt started to dissipate. Of course he knew what Anna wanted.

"It surprises you that I was attuned to Anna's desires?" he asked, his face serious, searching Emma's for her answer.

She wanted to say no. Wanted to tell him that she saw something in him, something that drew her to him in a way she hadn't felt for years. That she saw the kind of man he was and she liked what she saw.

But that felt a lot like giving something away.

"It surprises me you keep forgetting your job is to do what I tell you," she sniped, turning away so she didn't have to see the moment he reacted to her harshness.

"I could hardly forget, love," came the reply. "After all, I quite fancy you when you're not yelling at me, so it is in my best interests to give the lady what she wants."

Emma turned sharply back to him, the smug expression back in place as he cocked his head at her. She allowed herself a wry smile. "Well, what the lady wants is a pirate on set in ten, ready to sweep a few fair maidens off their feet. Can you do that?" she asked.

He bowed low, sweeping his arm in an exaggerated gesture before him. "As you wish, milady."

She turned to walk away and didn't look back.

* * *

As she closed the door behind her, he sunk onto the bed, head in his hands. Clearly it had been too long, he had forgotten how this delicate back and forth between two people was supposed to work.

All he knew was it was not supposed to feel like this.

"Fuck it all," he exclaimed, running his hands across his face a few times as he tried to prepare himself for the oncoming debacle. Regret hung heavy on his mind - he should never have let the guilt talk him into something so ridiculous…

"While I would usually be all for that kind of plan going forward," came a voice, and he looked up to find an amused Ruby looking down at him, "in this case it's gonna have to wait 'til after the whole costume thing. Although," she added as an afterthought, "the pirate outfit isn't going to hurt your cause."

Killian rolled his eyes at her but she shrugged it off, grin in place as she began placing his wardrobe on his bed. He watched as she laid it all out; loose, dark shirt, a vest of red brocade and black trousers that looked to be made of leather. On the hook behind the door, she hung a garment bag, patting it lovingly before turning and pointing an accusing finger at him.

"No peeking!" she laughed, "That's the piece de resistance right there and only I am playing with that." He nodded his agreement. "If you're a good boy, I'll let you have a sword, too. So maybe start planning the associated lines now?"

Killian looked curiously at her and Ruby stared him down, disbelievingly. "Come on, Jones, no way there aren't hundreds of flirty things you could say about something as phallic as that."

He coughed in surprise at her forthrightness.

"I'm afraid witty banter is not really my strong suit, lass," he countered, but Ruby just snorted in response.

"Actually I quite fancy you when you're not yelling at me," she mimicked in a sing song voice and Killian felt the heat start to rise in his cheeks. If Ruby had seen through him so easily, then surely Emma herself had some inkling that she had an effect that was far from professional on him?

"Relax, Jones, she's too busy pretending she can't see you are hot as hell to notice all this flirting is your half-assed attempt to really get close to her."

There was no point denying her claims.

"Now will you please get dressed?" Ruby asked, thrusting the soft linen shirt at him. He took it, slipping his own shirt off before pulling Ruby's over his head. She looked at him approvingly and he went to secure the small buttons at the neck.

"Nope, leave those," Ruby said with a grin. "I'm a genius, you know. She's not going to be able to keep her eyes off you."

Killian smiled warmly. "I can only hope to make Miss Anna happy."

A most unladylike snort came from Ruby. "Yeah," she said. "I'm so not talking about her."


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Emma made it back onto set, filming for the costume party was already underway. Praying that Ruby had finally got Killian into his costume, Emma sidled up to the camera watching as Liam introduced Anna first, dropping into a comfortable banter with her about her transformation and her expectations for seeing Killian next. Liam was a natural in this environment: warm and genuine with the contestants, and ridiculously likeable on camera - a family trait, she thought with a wry smile.

Anna, true to form, had plenty to say and Emma let her attention wander slightly, opening her shooting schedule and planning what she could, knowing Zelena would be breathing down her neck. Engrossed in her work, she didn't notice as the crew prepared for Killian's entrance.

It was the audible gasp followed by stunned silence that alerted her.

Somehow she knew what the reaction was for, knew Ruby was a master of her craft and that the base material hadn't been too shabby to start with. Breathing deeply, she slowly raised her eyes, panning up his long legs from the pointy-toed leather boots to the fitted leather trousers that hugged his muscled thighs. A vest of luxurious red fabric was the only thing stopping a full romance-novel-pirate happening if the deep vee of his black linen shirt was anything to go by, a silver chain with pirate charms drawing her eye to the dark swirls of hair on his chest that had her swearing under her breath. The whole outfit was topped with a long leather duster, with ornate buttons and detailed cuffs that revealed one hand bedecked with heavy silver rings while the other now ended in a ominous-looking silver hook.

She was almost afraid to look at his face, what she imagined was so far removed from the perms and twirled moustaches she associated with Captain Hook. The heat pooling in her belly was already too much to handle. It was lust, pure and simple, she told herself, forcing her eyes up to meet his.

The too-long, too-tidy hair had been trimmed and artfully tousled; the image of running her fingers through the dark strands in a moment of post-coital bliss was almost impossible to ignore. She snorted to herself, realising that was probably Ruby's intention in the first place. His scruff had been manicured too—close-cropped with flecks of ginger visible in the sunlight. But It was the kohl-rimmed blueness of his eyes that stopped her in her tracks, especially when he raised his eyebrows at her, cocking his head to the side as if to ask for her approval.

The bastard knew exactly what he looked like, she was certain.

The initial excitement of the big reveal over, work began again on multiple shots of Killian in costume, with Anna and with Liam. Despite her own heavy workload, Emma found herself unable to leave set, her eyes wandering back to him over and over. She watched as he parried with his sword for the cameras, spinning flamboyantly as the long coat trailed in his wake, and she hoped the flush of attraction she could feel in her body had not made its way up on to her face.

"Oh yes," came a self-satisfied voice at her shoulder, "that will do _very_ nicely." Emma turned sharply and came face to face with Zelena, her fellow producer all but licking her lips at the sight of pirate Killian.

"Genetics are a wonderful thing, don't you think, Emma?" Zelena continued, watching as the Jones brothers laughed together while cameras were reset. Emma couldn't disagree with her, but she was damned if she was going to say so.

"What do you want, Zelena?" she asked suspiciously. The less-than-savoury aspects of this job still left Emma cold from time to time - Zelena had no such qualms and Emma knew to be wary of her.

"I just wanted to check in on the good Captain, Emma darling. Wasn't the hook a delightful addition? So glad Regina suggested it. Not quite the Disney version, is he?"

Emma narrowed her eyes at the redhead. Something was definitely off. There was no way Zelena would be happy to see one of Emma's contestants blow everyone away unless she had an angle. Killian's transformation would be the stuff of dreams for the promotion department and that would all but guarantee him and Anna a passage through to the finals and Emma a solid head start in the promotion stakes - and Zelena knew it all too well.

Caution was the order of the day.

"Haven't you got your own people to gawp at?" Emma asked impatiently. "You'll have some work to do after this reveal, I'd think." Zelena's answering smile was serene and completely insincere and Emma had the decided urge to slap it off her, but she merely clenched her fists and stepped past her towards Anna, now finished her filming and watching proceedings with Killian on set.

She looked almost as stunned as Emma had felt as Killian stood on a turntable to allow for all the angles of his transformation to be covered. Again, Emma felt herself impossibly drawn to him and the confident swagger he seemed to have adopted in this outfit - still Killian, but not quite, and it was breathtaking even after some time to adjust.

Anna looped her arm into Emma's, squeezing her forearm as Killian removed his long coat and revealed the perfect fit of those leather trousers from all sides. Emma heard a small gasp from her side as Anna's fingers tightened even further on her.

"Um...Emma?" she said quietly.

Emma could only grunt in response as Killian chose that moment to hook his remaining thumb into his waistband and relax into the pirate persona, laughing heartily at something his brother said. Get a grip on yourself, Swan, she thought.

Anna seemed just as awestruck, clearing her throat before speaking again. "Emma, remember how I wanted Killian to be Harry Potter?"

"Uh-huh," Emma replied, fighting desperately to focus on Anna, or her work, or anything except the way she wanted to grab him by his pirate's luck and kiss him senseless.

"Pirates are definitely better than wizards."

Emma could not find it in herself to disagree.

* * *

Trusting one of the production assistants to oversee the rest of the costume reveals had seemed like a good idea—a chance to clear her head and put a bit of distance between herself and the things distracting her from the task at hand. Because if she had spent too much time thinking of Killian Jones before, the slightly x-rated images that kept flashing through her mind now were definitely a problem.

No surprises, though, that a quiet cup of coffee in a hidden corner was too much to ask.

" _You better get back here."_ Ruby's message was short and to the point. Emma sighed and tipped the rest of her admittedly ordinary coffee into the nearest potted plant before making her way back to set, running through the list of potential disasters that could await her.

At least the pirate was momentarily sidelined.

Rounding the corner of the large open area elaborately decorated for the costume party, Emma fumed at herself. She knew she should have stayed on set after speaking to Zelena. Her gut had told her something was up and it was very rarely wrong—and this had all the makings of a grade A debacle.

But instead she had taken off, putting as much distance between her and the pirate as possible in a pointless attempt to deny the fact she was hopelessly, irretrievably attracted to the man and turning him into the hottest thing to sail the seven seas had done absolutely nothing to curb that fact.

Served her right for giving in to useless emotions.

Because now she had big trouble.

A giant banner pronouncing "Welcome to Neverland"

And a fucking fairy flirting with her pirate where her princess should absolutely be.

It was genius really—the petite blonde was a perfect Tinkerbell; pixie-like in her short, green dress and translucent wings, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her face the ideal mix of innocence and mischief. It was definitely the latter flashing in her eyes as she sidled up to her Neverland compatriot, her fingers running deftly over the leather of his coat before toying with one of the silver buttons, rolling it in her fingers as she inched closer to him.

Kept at arm's—well, wing's, to be completely accurate—length, Anna's confusion was clear. She stood off to one side, watching helplessly as Zelena manoevered the nearest camera crew between her and Killian before her eyes sought Emma in the cluster of people gathered on set.

The hurt in her expression was like a punch to Emma's gut.

Before Emma could step towards her, Anna was gathered up by one of Zelena's production assistants and ushered into a corner, a camera on hand to capture every moment of her hurt feelings. Scrubbing a hand across her face in frustration, Emma scanned the scene, hoping for some spark of inspiration as to how she was going to turn Zelena's handiwork around, but all she saw was her colleague's self-satisfied smirk and the air of shock on the face of Killian Jones.

But of course he was too much of a gentleman to push the fairy away.

She needed to see Regina.

The showrunner was rubbing her hands together in glee—figuratively, at least—at the scenes unfolding on the monitors in the control room. Killian's wary face filled several of the screens, Anna's disbelieving eyes featuring on others and Regina was watching like a cat that had got the cream.

"You can thank me later," she purred as Emma stepped up beside her.

"What? For breaking up my team and making poor Anna look like an idiot?" Emma snapped. "Yeah, thanks."

Regina smiled indulgently at her. "Tell me how Jones in frumpy wizard robes is better than this? Play your cards right with our handsome captain, Miss Swan, and you could find yourself doing _very_ well out of this season."

Emma watched the monitors as Zelena stepped into the frame, whispering in Tina's ear and fussing over tiny adjustments to Killian's costume, many of which seemed little more than an unnecessary excuse to run her hands over him. And despite knowing she had absolutely no right, Emma could do nothing to hold back a surge of annoyance at the thought, nor the unconscious growl of disapproval that accompanied it.

Regina's lips curled in a sly smile, but she said nothing.

"Just what is your big plan here, Regina?" Emma asked, watching as Killian tried to step back from Zelena's wandering hands, his eyes searching the set as his mouth set in a hard line. Whether it was Anna he was seeking, or Emma herself, she was not sure of but there was no doubt in her mind he was uncomfortable with the current state of affairs. "Your pirate doesn't look too happy with the situation right now and if he is the season's big draw then surely you want to be keeping him happy?"

Regina shook her head, the condescension in her eyes making Emma's hands clench into fists involuntarily.

" _My_ pirate, as you call him, will do precisely what I tell him to do—well, what I tell you to tell him to do, I suppose," she said with chilling calm. "And we are going to have a little bit of a catfight when he does."

Emma was seething inside—with Regina for the carefree way she seemed to be toying with these people's emotions and with herself for caring so much about it. As much as it left a bad taste in her mouth, manipulation was part of her world, and always, always in the past she had been able to protect herself from making a connection with her people, preferring to keep a cool, professional distance even when asking them to bare their souls. At least then she had been able to see the big picture - that these contestants left the show with something positive, be it confidence or a new understanding or even just a friend.

But it had never been about broken hearts before.

Especially not when at least one had already taken a battering.

"We don't do romance, Regina," she protested, praying nothing in the tone of her voice would give away the fact she suspected she had slightly more than a professional interest in protecting Killian Jones. "Never have. We haven't needed to. This show has been about building people up."

Regina's eyes rolled back in her head. "Please. Spare me your bleeding-heart idealism. This show has always been about people watching it and we will do whatever it takes for that to happen. And if that means our pretty princess is going to grow some claws to get her pirate back from the flirty little fairy, then that is what we are going to do. Drama, Ms Swan, is what sells television shows and this little triangle is going to have it in spades."

Emma grimaced in frustration. "He's not an actor, Regina. I can't just tell him to fall in love on cue. And neither can you."

The showrunner laughed, the glint in her eyes making Emma's blood run cold. "You're right, Emma. He's not an actor. He is so, so much better. Who wants some half-witted parrot reciting back words he doesn't understand when you can have this? A genuine, heartbroken nerdy professor with a handsome face and an overwhelming urge to make himself feel worthy of his brother's time and attention."

The shock of this statement must have shown on Emma's face, because Regina's eyes narrowed in triumph. "Did you think I didn't read Hopper's psych evaluations? Or listen when Jones prattles on and on about his precious little brother? It's my job to know everything that goes on here and if there is one thing I am, it is good at my job. Just watch."

She picked up a radio handset on the control bench, a short burst of static breaking the charged silence before she spoke. "Zelena, I think it is time for some fireworks. Is Anna in sight?"

Zelena's voice rang through the control room. "Affirmative. Ashley has her and her eyes are definitely on the good captain. Can't blame her, really, can you? He's a pretty little…"

"Enough!" Regina snapped, "Just plant the seed and step away from the leather." Knowing she could be seen, Zelena pulled a face at the monitor before stepping in close to Tina's ear and whispering some advice. The blonde looked questioningly at the producer and Emma held her breath, a cold ball of dread in the pit of her stomach as Zelena nodded reassuringly at her charge, before stepping out of the shot.

"Get that camera in there," barked Regina as Tina reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips gently to Killian's, looping her hands around his neck and pulling him close. He hesitated, panic in his eyes for a split second before they fluttered closed and his hands settled lightly at her waist. It was only a few seconds of contact, Emma was sure, but it felt like hours as his lips moved gently against Tina's before pulling back from her again.

Anna's gasp came clearly through the control room speakers, drawing Emma's attention away from the scene that had all but pulled her feet out from under her, no matter how hard she tried to deny that fact to herself. The redhead's face crumbled into confusion, a deep furrow between her brows and Emma glanced reluctantly back at the monitor where Killian's dark head and Tina's blonde one were in tight close up.

Relief was the first sensation Emma registered as the slight distance between the two of them became evident, Tina smiling hopefully up at him as Killian reached up to scratch behind his ear, eyes wary despite an attempt at returning her smile. It was a short-lived reprieve, however, as Regina gave a satisfied whoop of delight and the all-too-familiar feeling of frustration flooded Emma's mind yet again.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen," she announced to no one in particular, "is how you do that. Don't tell me Disney knew better than me how to make magic."

Emma glared at her boss and the self-satisfied smirk on her face. "Oh yeah," she hissed, "that awkward peck on the lips leaves Fantasia for dead."

Her sarcasm had little effect, Regina's smirk widening as she turned to Emma. "Jealous, Ms Swan?"

Emma snorted derisively, panic bubbling below the surface that somehow, somewhere she had let the carefully placed facade of indifference slip. "Of what?"

Regina sidled up to her, mouth curled in a sly smile. "I told you I am _very_ good at this job. Do you think I don't see the yearning looks and doey eyes?"

"I don't yearn," Emma stated emphatically, arms folded defensively across her chest as Regina eyed her up and down. The showrunner cocked her head to the side, as if considering some new information.

"Perhaps not," she conceded, "but _he_ does. And when his beloved Swan tells him she needs him to convince us all he is falling for our perky little fairy, he will be more than happy to do it, won't he?"

Emma froze in disbelief. Manipulation and misdirection were hardly unfamiliar tactics in her working world, but something about the callous way Regina was willing to play with Killian's emotions felt like a whole new level of evil. White spots of anger danced behind her eyes, and she knew she had to get out, to get away and clear her head before she let slip more of her feelings than she was willing to admit.

"This is bullshit," she breathed, brushing past Regina and towards the door .

"This is television, Emma," Regina replied, "and if you were expecting anything different then perhaps you are not in the right form of employment."

As she made her way into the darkness outside the control room, Emma was tempted to agree.

* * *

Emma rounded the corner of the mansion, still fuming from her conversation with Regina, and ran into an unexpected obstacle.

A large, man-sized obstacle, who wrapped muscled forearms around her waist to steady her before she lost her footing. Her hands came to rest on his chest as she steadied herself and she looked slowly up and into the kohl-rimmed eyes of Killian Jones. Their gaze held for a moment, Emma's mouth dropping open involuntarily at the depths of the blue that stared back at her. Killian himself seemed a little dazed, blinking furiously until he seemed to shake himself back to reality.

"All right there, Swan?" he asked as he released her from his arms, concern evident on his face.

Emma took a moment to brush herself off, knowing it was unnecessary but needing a reason to break eye contact and gather her thoughts. Visions of his lips pressed against Tina's jumped into her mind and she felt the slow burn of anger in her belly return, all but forgotten in the initial shock of contact, and she channelled it in her eyes as she looked back at him, despite knowing full well it was directed at the wrong person.

Being mad was an easier option.

"I'm fine," she snapped, "and I don't need you to rescue me, Jones." If her animosity surprised him, he managed to conceal it and Emma found it impossible to maintain her ire. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Killian ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply before he spoke. "I confess, Swan, it has been a rather overwhelming evening and hiding seemed the only way to have some respite from the...festivities." Overwhelmed seemed an understatement if the exhaustion on his face and the furrows in his brow were anything to go by and Emma found sympathy replacing the anger she had felt before, no matter how misplaced it may have been.

Plus, she could hardly judge him for needing some time out when she had been seeking exactly the same thing.

The next words were out before she had a chance to think twice about them. "I know a place they won't find you. Come on." For a fraction of a second, she considered holding her hand out to take his, the thought of his fingers intertwined with hers sending a tiny spark of warmth through her body, but she clenched her fist by her side and led him onwards.

The trailer she shared with Ruby and the wardrobe department was definitely nothing fancy, but Emma knew better than most the privacy sharing your space with the wardrobe mistress and her vast collection of costume options could afford. Ruby herself was otherwise occupied for the evening, her girlfriend Mulan having arrived in town that day, so barring an unexpected meeting with a wayward crew member, Emma was sure Killian's location could be kept under wraps at least for a while.

She was less sure of the wisdom of putting herself in that location too.

Ushering Killian into the rear of the trailer, past Ruby's hanging rails and into the sleeping area behind, Emma gestured towards her bunk for Killian to sit down.

"I could use a drink," she said, searching in the mismatched collection of cabinets that made up their personal storage and coming up with an almost empty bottle of vodka and little else. Disappointed, she looked at Killian. "Don't suppose a handy source of rum came with that get up?"

"Sadly, no," he replied, shaking his head. Emma carefully inspected several glasses sitting on the countertop, pushing each one gingerly aside before taking a swig directly from the neck of the bottle. She held it out to Killian, who hesitated for only a fraction of a second before following suit, swallowing the clear liquid and handing back the bottle with a grateful smile.

She wasted no time in finishing what remained.

Emma's eyes wandered the length of the trailer, a search for a seating alternative she knew very well was not there. Despite the slightly shellshocked look that remained in his eyes, the tension had gone from Killian's body and he relaxed onto her bunk and the urge to sidle up next to him was strong. And clearly a mistake.

She sighed as she made it anyway.

They sat in silence, his fingers picking absently at the fabric of her covers as Emma tried not to focus on the way his cologne mixed with the scent of the leather of his coat and how damn good it smelled. How much she wanted to drag him to her by his lapels…

"I hate this damn job some days," she blurted out, any topic of conversation preferable to fighting the thought of his lips on hers. "I'm not here to piss people off and play games with their emotions - well, not real emotions anyway." She sunk her face into her hands. "I know this is a ridiculous show, but it was always good-natured, you know? Built people up. But now…"

"You're not so sure?" he finished.

"Well, you look like hell and I imagine Anna is less than impressed…" Emma began, before chuckling softly at his affronted face. She rolled her eyes at him, giving him a sharp shove to the shoulder for good measure. "Yeah, yeah, we all know your ass looks good in leather, Jones -" she avoided his gaze, afraid the inevitable smirk would be her final undoing - "but you were hardly lurking around in dark corners thanks to being thrilled with the state of play."

Preparing for the worst, Emma faced him, but his blue eyes were serious, concern the only emotion she could see reflected back at her. "Poor form for me to not check on Anna," he said regretfully, "although the way she talks about Kris, I have my suspicions that any actual hurt at Tina's advances would have been to her pride, rather than her heart."

Emma ran her hand through her hair, some relief coming from the thought that Anna might, at least, not be off nursing a broken heart. About Tina, she wasn't so sure, but Killian gave her little time to contemplate that fact.

"I struggle to feel comfortable with being a pawn in some kind of romantic game, Swan."

Emma sighed. "Trust me, buddy, I am less than comfortable with this _being_ a romantic game. But here's how this works. Regina calls the shots and she's calling love triangle with you at the pointy end. And until I can give her something else…"

She shook her head, realising she didn't have anything else. No secret plan, no fight back, no alternative that took her back to when this game made sense. The last thing she wanted to do was ask him to do this, to go along and play his part, when it was against everything that she knew him to be.

The empty vodka bottle was all but taunting her in that moment.

She felt his hand under her chin, raising her face slowly to his, trepidation at what she would see in his face coursing through her. He swallowed hard as his thumb brushed her chin so lightly she almost doubted it was real. _Would_ have doubted it was real if not for the way his teeth worried his bottom lip as he watched her, or the almost imperceptible shift of him nearer to her.

As she held her breath, it changed; the eyes suddenly twinkling as a smirk played at the corners of his lips. There was mischief in his tone as he spoke, the contrast to the moment before astonishing as he winked at her. "Are you suggesting Regina feels my leather-clad arse is not going to bring in sufficient viewers, Swan? The ludicrous depth of this first button not enough to entice the masses?" He trailed a finger along the open neckline of his shirt.

The track of her eyes down the planes of his chest was involuntary.

She recognised the signs of self protection all too clearly - whatever moment had occurred as his hand was on her face and his eyes bored into her soul had set his alarm bells ringing. Too open, too vulnerable, too much laid on the table and it was time to deflect reality with a flirtatious line and that obscene tongue rolling across his lips.

Emma could deflect with the best of them. But somehow, not today…

Without thought, she hauled him to her by the lapels, irrational thoughts of Ruby's ire at any damage to the coat quickly dissipating as her lips sought his. He stilled for a fraction of a second, shock, perhaps, before meeting her kiss as his hands snaked up and into her hair.

Any fear she may have felt at his having feelings for Tina were quashed in a moment. This was not the hesitant peck on the lips she had seen on the monitors. His lips moved against hers, insistent and wanting as she angled her head to deepen the kiss. A low rumble from the back of Killian's throat as her tongue swept his lips sent a bolt of warmth to Emma's core. She shifted her hands, twisting them tighter in the leather in vain hope of somehow drawing closer as they broke the kiss for the merest of seconds, before Emma captured his lips once more.

Emma pulled away first, exhaling deeply as she swayed back towards him once, then twice, before releasing his clothes and sliding her hands away. For a moment she thought he was going to chase, to move with her and pull her back to him once more. Instead he breathed out heavily, as if settling himself before whatever spell they had been under was broken.

"Tell me what you need me to do, Swan," he whispered. "Whatever your heart desires…"

There was such sincerity in his voice. Emma knew she could ask him anything in that moment and he would do as she asked, without question. But the desires of her heart were not a topic she wished to discuss with him, or anyone.

It was all too much.

She stood abruptly, emotion circling around sense as she responded in the only way she knew - by running. "No...um...you stay here, lay low. I don't need you to do anything right now. I've gotta...go…" she stammered, deliberately avoiding his eyes, knowing she would see hurt in their blue depths and unsure she could resist if she did.

"Swan?" Killian's voice alone was almost enough to break her resolve, the tremor of confusion making her breath catch in her throat. Getting out of here was the only way, the only thing that made sense.

"Don't follow me," she barked, her tone far harsher than she intended. "If you want to do something for me you can just stay here, okay?"

He sighed, low and heavy and like a stab to Emma's heart but she could not let it sway her from what was needed.

"As you wish."

She didn't look back - couldn't look back - as she pushed through Ruby's hanging racks and out into the cool evening air, the touch of his lips on hers still tingling on her skin.


End file.
